"Let them in," Yu Jingchen said. Hearing this, Qian Xia bowed and withdrew. Soon, An Xin entered.
"Greetings to His Majesty and Consort Shu," An Xin said, her demeanor as kind as the Empress Dowager's.
"Aunt An Xin," Nan Zhiyun called out sweetly.
"Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has been sleeping rather heavily these past few days, and the National Preceptor did not allow anyone to disturb her. She only woke up a little while ago and heard that Consort Shu was injured. She was very worried, so she specially sent this servant to check on you. Now it seems Consort Shu's complexion is quite good," An Xin said with a smile, also explaining why she was arriving so late.
However... Nan Zhiyun’s focus was not on this.
"The National Preceptor hasn't left yet? He didn't leave all night, did he? Did he stay in Cining Palace yesterday?" Nan Zhiyun asked three questions in quick succession.
"The National Preceptor did stay in Cining Palace yesterday. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, she..." Before An Xin could finish, Nan Zhiyun couldn't hold back.
"Why would he stay here? He's an outsider. How dare he stay here? Doesn't he know that staying in Her Majesty the Empress Dowager's palace could cause trouble for her? What if rumors start spreading later? What is he trying to do?" If Nan Zhiyun could stand up now, she would have already done so.
Yu Jingchen, seeing Nan Zhiyun's rare display of losing composure, couldn't help but laugh.
"Slow down, be careful you don't bump your wound again, it will hurt," Yu Jingchen quickly soothed her, thinking she was perhaps too agitated.
"Consort Shu, please rest assured, no one outside will know, and this news will not spread," An Xin was also amused by Nan Zhiyun's current state.
"It's better to be safe than sorry. What if it really spreads? Doesn't the National Preceptor think about Her Majesty the Empress Dowager at all? What was he thinking? How could he stay here so at ease? And where does he get the authority to have you all listen to his arrangements?" Nan Zhiyun was unconvinced.
"Don't worry, your Empress Dowager is smarter than you. She doesn't need you to worry so much," Yu Jingchen looked at the little rabbit who had started to become restless, with doting eyes.
Nan Zhiyun: "..." Those words didn't sound like anything good.
An Xin, seeing how Nan Zhiyun and Yu Jingchen interacted, was secretly happy for them.
"Your Highness, please rest assured, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has it all under control," An Xin replied. However, Nan Zhiyun was clearly not satisfied with this answer. Just as she was about to speak, An Xin spoke before her.
"Your Highness, how is your injury? What did the imperial physicians say?" An Xin immediately asked, feeling truly overwhelmed.
Hearing An Xin's question, Nan Zhiyun had no choice but to retract her words and replied, "It's nothing serious anymore, it doesn't hurt much now."
"What did the imperial physicians say?" An Xin continued to ask.
"The imperial physicians said that I shouldn't put any force on my foot, I need to apply the medicine on time every day, and get plenty of rest. Then there won't be any major problems," Nan Zhiyun said.
"Her Majesty the Empress Dowager heard that your bone was injured. Is it really nothing serious?" An Xin was still a little worried.
"It's nothing serious anymore, Aunt An Xin doesn't need to worry. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager also doesn't need to fret too much. A month of rest will be enough," Nan Zhiyun said, sounding quite relaxed now.
It was just...
"Who was crying so hard just now? And now you're saying it's fine. Where did the person who kept saying it hurt go so quickly?" Yu Jingchen chimed in.
"It hurt a lot just now... but it's better now, isn't it?" Nan Zhiyun felt a little guilty from his words.
Yu Jingchen just smiled at her response and didn't expose her further.
"Her Majesty the Empress Dowager was worried before. Now it seems she can be much more at ease," An Xin replied. As for what "at ease" referred to, perhaps only she and the Empress Dowager knew.
Of course, Nan Zhiyun assumed she was referring to her injury.
After expressing her concern, An Xin did not linger in the hall and returned directly to Cining Palace, knowing Nan Zhiyun's condition.
After all this, it was already noon. Nan Zhiyun was accustomed to her afternoon naps, and now she was starting to feel sleepy.
Yu Jingchen saw Nan Zhiyun yawning and knew her sleepy bug was acting up again. He could never understand why she slept so much.
"Sleepy?" Yu Jingchen's voice was gentle.
"Yes, I can't stay awake any longer..." Tears were welling up in Nan Zhiyun's eyes, not for any other reason than extreme sleepiness. Even her voice sounded soft and weary.
"Then take a nap. I'll wake you up later for a meal, alright?" Yu Jingchen asked her.
"Can I not eat dinner?" Nan Zhiyun's eyes held a small plea and anticipation.
"Hmm? Why? You must eat? How can you not eat dinner?" Yu Jingchen looked at her disapprovingly.
"I want to sleep a little longer. I'll sleep very late, what should I do?" Nan Zhiyun felt that the weather today was perfect for sleeping. Now that she was injured, she couldn't do anything, so it was very conducive to sleep.
"That won't do. No matter how long you want to sleep, you must eat dinner. This is non-negotiable. You didn't eat dinner before?" Yu Jingchen asked her.
Nan Zhiyun knew she had slipped up and instantly became guilty, not daring to speak further.
"I want to sleep..." Nan Zhiyun tried to evade the topic.
"Trying to escape again? Speak up, do you usually not eat dinner?" Yu Jingchen's gaze became a little more serious.
"No... I ate," Nan Zhiyun said with weak conviction.
"Do you think you're good at lying? What were you thinking by not eating? Don't you know your body is already not in good condition? What if something else goes wrong with your body later? Are you that foolish?" Yu Jingchen began to lecture her.
"No..." Nan Zhiyun guiltily tugged at the blanket, covering herself.
Yu Jingchen pulled it away, "Still hiding? Do you think hiding will make it all right? I'll have someone investigate later. Once I find out how many times you've skipped meals, you'll be in trouble." Yu Jingchen pinched Nan Zhiyun's mouth.
"Your Majesty..." Nan Zhiyun had a bad premonition when she heard Yu Jingchen was going to investigate. If they found out, would she still have a way out?
Seeing Nan Zhiyun's expression, Yu Jingchen knew she hadn't been eating properly, and he became a little angry, but more than that, he was worried.
After all, Nan Zhiyun woke up late in the morning, and sometimes breakfast had to be changed to lunch. If she didn't eat dinner, she would only be eating lunch every day.
How could her body handle that? As he thought about it, Yu Jingchen felt uncomfortable, and his gaze towards Nan Zhiyun gradually turned "unfriendly."
Nan Zhiyun felt a little nervous. The next moment, she was "dealt with."